Isabella Carter
In her famous On Women's Right to Vote speech, Susan B. Anthony quoted the preamble to the US Constitution, emphasizing the phrase We the People to argue that the United States was founded to secure the rights of all citizens, including women. By invoking the preamble, Anthony highlighted the democratic nature of the US government and asserted that those countries denying women the right to vote were oligarchies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| To highlight the inclusivity of the phrase "We, the people" | To argue for women's suffrage |
| To emphasize the founding principles of the United States | To point out the denial of rights in certain countries |
| To stress the importance of democracy | To counter arguments for monarchy or theocracy |
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What You'll Learn
To emphasise that the US was founded to secure the rights of all
In her famous "On Women's Right to Vote" speech, Anthony invoked the preamble to the US Constitution to emphasise that the US was founded to secure the rights of all. In her speech, she pointed out that the preamble addresses "We, the people", and not "We, the male citizens". This was to argue that countries that denied women the right to vote were oligarchies.
The Preamble to the Constitution proclaims that "We the People of the United States" are adopting this Constitution, and it describes why it is being adopted—the purposes behind the enactment of America's charter of government. It is the people who are sovereign, which makes clear that the United States is to be a democracy, not a monarchy or a theocracy.
By quoting the Preamble, Anthony emphasised that the US was founded on the principle of securing the rights and liberties of all its citizens, not just a select few. She used the rhetorical device of allusion to show that the liberties granted by the Constitution should apply to all citizens, not just certain kinds of citizens.
The Preamble states the basic values that should guide the understanding of the Constitution. It describes the creation of effective governance for the nation, with the people as the source of the government's power. By quoting the Preamble, Anthony highlighted the importance of the government being created by and for the people, with the rights and liberties of all citizens at its core.
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To highlight that individual states should decide who can vote
The Preamble to the US Constitution begins with the words, "We the People of the United States". This is significant because it makes clear that the United States is a democracy, where sovereignty rests with the people, rather than a monarchy or a theocracy.
In her famous "On Women's Right to Vote" speech, Anthony quoted the Preamble to the US Constitution to argue that the use of "We the People" meant that all citizens, regardless of gender, were meant to be included in the democratic process. She pointed out that the use of "We the People" rather than "We the Male Citizens" indicated that the United States was founded on the principle of securing the rights of all its citizens.
By quoting the Preamble, Anthony also sought to highlight the discrepancy between the ideals expressed in the Constitution and the reality of women's exclusion from the vote. She argued that countries that denied women the right to vote were oligarchies, and that individual states should have the power to decide who is allowed to vote.
This interpretation of the Preamble aligns with the understanding that it is the people who are sovereign, as emphasised by Chief Justice John Marshall in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819). The Court rejected the claim by the State of Maryland that it was the state governments that formed the United States and were thus sovereign. Instead, the Court affirmed that the government proceeds directly from the people and is established in their name.
Through her invocation of the Preamble, Anthony sought to empower individual states to decide on voting rights, thereby advancing the cause of women's suffrage and challenging the exclusionary practices that denied women their democratic rights.
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To point out the use of We, the people
In her famous "On Women's Right to Vote" speech, Anthony invoked the preamble to the US Constitution, emphasizing the use of "We, the people" to argue for women's suffrage. By pointing to the preamble's address of "We, the people" rather than "We, the male citizens", Anthony asserted that countries denying women the right to vote were oligarchies.
The use of "We, the people" in the preamble of the US Constitution is significant as it emphasizes the democratic nature of the US government. It asserts that the government is created by the people and for the people, with sovereignty resting in the hands of the citizens. This is in contrast to other forms of government such as monarchy, theocracy, or totalitarian rule. The phrase "We, the people" also introduces the document, proclaiming that it is the people of the United States who are adopting this Constitution and describing the purposes behind its enactment.
The preamble sets the tone and provides the context for the Constitution's seven articles and twenty-seven amendments. It establishes the basic values that should guide the interpretation of the Constitution. By using "We, the people," the preamble makes it clear that the Constitution is a collective enactment of all US citizens, with the government deriving its power directly from the people.
In her speech, Anthony leveraged the phrase "We, the people" from the preamble to argue for women's suffrage. She emphasized that the United States was founded on the principle of securing the rights of all its citizens. By invoking the preamble, Anthony highlighted the discrepancy between the ideals of liberty and justice proclaimed in the Constitution and the reality of women being denied their right to vote.
Through her use of "We, the people," Anthony asserted that the liberties and rights guaranteed in the Constitution should apply equally to all citizens, regardless of gender. Her reference to the preamble served as a powerful rhetorical device, appealing to the founding principles of the nation to make a case for women's suffrage and challenge the exclusionary practices of the time.
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To argue that countries that deny women the vote are oligarchies
The Preamble to the US Constitution begins with the words "We the People of the United States". This phrase is significant because it establishes that the people are sovereign and that the United States is a democracy, not a monarchy or a theocracy. By quoting the Preamble in her famous "On Women's Right to Vote" speech, Anthony emphasized that the United States was founded on the principle of securing the rights of all its citizens. She pointed out that the Preamble addresses "We, the people" and not "We, the male citizens". This was used to argue that countries that deny women the right to vote are oligarchies.
The right to vote is a fundamental liberty in a democracy. By denying women the vote, countries are effectively ruling on behalf of only a select portion of their citizens, which goes against the democratic ideal of "We, the people". This selective granting of liberties and rights is an oligarchy, where power is held by a small group or elite minority.
The US Constitution was established to "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity". By denying women the right to vote, countries are failing to uphold these democratic ideals and are instead perpetuating a system that excludes a significant portion of their citizens.
Furthermore, the Preamble to the Constitution has been termed the "Enacting Clause", as it declares the fact of adoption of the Constitution. By quoting this, Anthony emphasized that the United States was founded on the principle of popular sovereignty, where the government proceeds directly from the people. Countries that deny women the right to vote are effectively denying the principle of popular sovereignty and are instead ruling on behalf of only those with voting rights, which is characteristic of an oligarchy.
In conclusion, by invoking the Preamble to the US Constitution, Anthony highlighted the democratic ideals that underpin the United States and argued that countries denying women the right to vote are failing to uphold these ideals. By denying women the vote, these countries are ruling on behalf of only a select group of citizens, which is characteristic of an oligarchy.
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To illustrate how liberties only apply to certain citizens
In her famous "On Women's Right to Vote" speech, Anthony invoked the preamble to the US Constitution to highlight the liberties granted to all citizens—and, more importantly, how some liberties only apply to certain citizens.
The Preamble to the Constitution, in its famous first fifty-two words, introduces everything that is to follow in the Constitution's seven articles and twenty-seven amendments. It proclaims who is adopting the Constitution: "We the People of the United States." By quoting this, Anthony pointed out that the text addresses "We, the people," and not "We, the male citizens." She argued that countries that denied women the right to vote were oligarchies.
The Preamble also describes the reasons for the Constitution's enactment, including the establishment of justice, the assurance of domestic tranquility, the provision for the common defence, the promotion of general welfare, and the securing of liberties for the citizens of the United States and their descendants.
By quoting the Preamble, Anthony emphasized that the United States was founded on the principle of securing the rights of all its citizens. She used this argument to highlight the contradiction between the stated values of the nation and the denial of voting rights to women. This rhetorical device of allusion allowed Anthony to draw attention to the fact that, despite the stated ideals, liberties were not equally applied to all citizens, specifically in the case of women's suffrage.
In doing so, Anthony also asserted that each individual state should have the right to decide who is allowed to vote, further emphasizing the discrepancy between the stated liberties in the Preamble and the reality of restricted voting rights for certain groups.
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Frequently asked questions
To emphasize that the United States was founded to secure the rights of everyone.
Anthony points out that the preamble addresses "We, the people" and not "We, the male citizens".
The preamble to the Constitution is the document's famous first 52 words. It introduces everything that is to follow in the Constitution's seven articles and 27 amendments.
While preambles in legal documents are not substantive provisions, the Preamble to the Constitution has its own legal force as it declares the enactment of the provisions that follow.
